The latest World Health Organization (WHO) findings on adolescent physical activity should concern more than health authorities. They point to a social and economic problem whose consequences will extend well into adulthood.
Only 14 per cent of adolescents worldwide achieve at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. One in four reported no active days in the previous week. Girls are particularly affected. The WHO also found that global progress over the past 15 years has been negligible.
Physical activity is not simply about fitness or sporting achievement. For adolescents, it supports healthy growth, stronger bones and muscles, better mental well-being and cognitive development. Habits formed during these years can shape health in adulthood. For adults, regular movement helps prevent heart disease, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. An increasingly sedentary population, on the other hand, faces greater risks of illness and reduced quality of life.
The economic cost is equally concerning. Physical inactivity increases the burden on healthcare systems through preventable diseases and treatment expenses. It also contributes to lost productivity through illness, absenteeism and premature death. WHO estimates that preventable diseases linked to physical inactivity could cost health systems nearly US$300 billion between 2020 and 2030. An economy cannot afford to treat avoidable ill health as merely a private concern.
The issue deserves attention in Nagaland as well. How physically active are Naga adolescents? With growing screen time, long hours of classroom instruction and increasing dependence on motorised transport, there is reason to examine whether young people are getting enough daily movement. However, India was excluded from the latest WHO assessment because comparable representative data were unavailable. Nagaland cannot assume its position without local evidence. A state-level survey would be a useful starting point.
Schools must protect time for physical education and outdoor play rather than treating them as expendable activities. Communities and local authorities must also provide safe spaces for walking, recreation and sport. Adults, too, need to make movement part of everyday life.
A society that neglects physical activity today will pay for it tomorrow through higher healthcare costs, lost productivity and a less healthy workforce. Regular physical movement must be seen as an investment in the health and economic capacity of the next generation.
